Public Viewing23 May from 3pm - 9pm24, 25 and 26 May from 10am - 9pm27 May from 10am - 7pm

VenueIsland Ballroom, Island Shangri-La Hotel, Admiralty, Hong Kong

Bonhams is delighted to present "Voyages of Discovery," a unique Portuguese single owner collection which features 12 exceptionally rare Imperial Chinese masterworks alongside 15 major works by Chu Teh-Chun and Zao Wou-Ki.

The twelve exquisite Chinese objects span widely in era from the Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1127AD), through the Ming Dynasty to the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty (up to 1908AD). The collection of works includes ceramic dishes, flambé-glazed vases and unique cloisonné enamel boxes.

A highlight work is the magnificent and extremely rare cloisonné enamel incense burner and cover from the Qianlong period of the Qing Dynasty (Estimate HK$3,000,000 - 6,000,000). Featuring a striking blue floral pattern across its case and detailed with gold, the box is held up on both sides by kneeling figures and adorned on its lid by a gold lion. This work of art is one of only two of its kind, its twin residing in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.

Further objects of note include the oldest work in the collection, an extremely rare Dingyao dish from the Northern Song Dynasty (960 – 1127 AD; estimate HK$2,000,000 – 4,000,000), inscribed at a later date with a poem by the Qianlong Emperor in 1776, and an exceptional copper-red lotus bowl from the Hongwu period (Estimate HK$900,000 – 1,800,000), which demonstrates the very best quality in works from the establishment of the Ming Dynasty. Hongwu, the first Ming Emperor, claimed the Mandate of Heaven on seizure of the Yuan capital (present-day Bejing) and established the Ming Dynasty in 1368, making this work both one of aesthetic brilliance and historical significance.

Lot 12A magnificent and extremely rare gilt-bronze and cloisonné-enamelled incense burner and coverBeijing Palace Workshops, QianlongThe long and deep rectangular casket rising towards perpendicular flaring keyfret rim, all beneath a partially open-worked dome-shaped cover of reticulated auspicious shou characters and dragon chasing flaming pearls, surmounted by a Buddhist lion standing tall on four, the mythical beast's head turned upwards to the right with finely incised fur running down from its spine, all supported between a pair of foreigners, each kneeling on one knee and adorning tall curved headdress and long robes, all decorated with elaborate lotus blossoms and beautifully enamelled in various colours of red, blue, green, yellow, white, pink and black, all on a brilliant turquoise ground.112cm wide.Estimate：HK$ 3,000,000 – 6,000,000

Representatives of the media are invited to come to the public preview and the auction on 27 May.

NOTES FOR EDITORS

Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. In August 2002, the company acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of America. Today, Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms in London: New Bond Street and Knightsbridge; and a further three in the UK regions and Scotland. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Carmel, New York and Connecticut in the USA; and Germany, France, Monaco, Hong Kong and Australia. Bonhams has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries offering sales advice and valuation services in 60 specialist areas. For a full listing of upcoming sales, plus details of Bonhams specialist departments go to www.bonhams.com